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Son's death sparks campaign for better training

Twenty-one-year-old Corey Lodge had had his learner's
motorcycle permit less than 24 hours when he was killed last March
2, crashing his new 1,000 cc motorcycle into a rock face on the
Malahat Drive.

By Times Colonist (Victoria)March 4, 2006

Twenty-one-year-old Corey Lodge had had his learner's motorcycle permit less than 24 hours when he was killed last March 2, crashing his new 1,000 cc motorcycle into a rock face on the Malahat Drive.

A year later, his tearful mother, Denise Lodge, held a news conference to publicize her campaign to have the province introduce a more stringent staged licensing program -- including a limit on the size of bikes they can ride --for novice riders.

Lodge admitted her eldest son wasn't obeying the restrictions his licence stipulated when he crashed and died.

A friend said Corey passed him heading south on Tunnel Hill at more than 200 km/h seconds before crashing where the four-lane highway turns into two lanes.

"He shouldn't have been on the highway. He shouldn't have been doing 200 km/h," she said holding up her son's learner's permit.

"He wasn't supposed to be there. He had a supervisor. The supervisor was in place but they shouldn't have been on the highway and they shouldn't have been doing 200 km/h."

Corey's licence prohibited him from driving more than 60 km/h; restricted him to daylight hours; prohibited him from carrying a passenger and mandated he be followed by a supervisor with a valid licence.

But Denise Lodge still believes that had the changes her group COREY (Coalition Of Riders Educating Youth) is recommending been in place, her son would be alive today.

"I truly, honestly believe that if it was in place he would be here today because he would have had the skills and he would have been able to manoeuvre it," she said at the West Shore RCMP station, while choking back tears.

"To me, it's absolutely ludicrous. You write an exam and then you feed them to the wolves," Lodge said.

"You have to have the skills before you can actually go on the streets and be safe. There is no grace. There is no forgiveness on a motorcycle."

Lodge is recommending a number of amendments to the way motorcyclists are licensed including:

- Graduated licensing.

- Restriction on the size of motorcycles to a maximum of 250 cc for a minimum of three years for new riders.

- Mandatory driver education.

- Clear definition of the role of the supervisor/trainer accompanying new riders.

- Zero tolerance for violations of the law for both the supervisor and the learner, including loss of licence.

- Learners must take their rider's exam on the same bike that the rider will be riding and insuring.

- Colour-coded licence plates to identify new motorcycle drivers.

Lodge has a meeting Monday with Solicitor General and Minister of Public Safety John Les to discuss her proposals.

RCMP Const. Gord Bedingfield would not comment on the specifics of Lodge's recommendations.

"Anything that will bring more safety onto the roads will benefit everyone," he said. "At the RCMP we have mandatory training for motorcycles as well as every year we have to be re-certified on a motorbike."